- Feb 22, 2013
- 9
- 0
- 7
Hello!
We just picked up 3 emu chicks today. One DNA tested male and two unknowns. We will have those 2 tested soon. They are approximately 3-4 weeks old. I have done research, but I am confused about some things.
I can't get them to eat or drink. We just got them home a couple hours ago, so maybe they're just stressed but I'm very worried about them! What should I use for their feed and water? I forgot to ask "the hatcher" what he was using.
We are raising them as pets and want to make them very tame, so they are in the house with us for as long as possible. The man we got them from ("the hatcher" should I call him?) still had them in a large box in his bathroom. They have not been outside yet.
He told us he was feeding them chick crumbles, I believe, but we have Flock Raiser for our other birds and he said if we fed that it would be fine. Is it okay to feed them Flock raiser? And what do I feed them in? They don't seem to know what anything is, and they just trip all over everything. Another thing, I can't get them to drink. Currently they are in a large dog crate with a towel on the bottom. I also covered the crate to make them feel safer. I hung a small measuring cup over the side of the wire for water, and the same for their food. We will have them out of the crate quite often and will probably put a dog exercise pen in the living room to keep them in (for a bit until they outgrow it or i get tired of the poop smell!), just as we did with our geese. I got very tired of that quickly, because dang are they messy! When I had the geese in there I was using doggie pee pads, but I went through them like crazy. It was really expensive, but much better than rinsing out and washing a hundred towels a day.
We will eventually move them outside, but I'm not sure where yet. The barn? The back patio? The shed where the chickens are? I have a chick brooder I made out of a kitchen cabinet that is fairly large, but I'm sure they'll outgrow it quickly.
Any advice is much appreciated! I'll post pictures as soon as I have a few extra mintues away from these babies! I thought 3 was a good idea because I'm always worried when I have 2 of something that something will happen to one of them and the lone one left will be lonely. The more the merrier I always say, but taking care of these 3 babies is already a handful. And I have husband and kids home today to help me. Don't know what I'm going to do Monday when everyone goes off and leaves me alone with these lil things!
We just picked up 3 emu chicks today. One DNA tested male and two unknowns. We will have those 2 tested soon. They are approximately 3-4 weeks old. I have done research, but I am confused about some things.
I can't get them to eat or drink. We just got them home a couple hours ago, so maybe they're just stressed but I'm very worried about them! What should I use for their feed and water? I forgot to ask "the hatcher" what he was using.
We are raising them as pets and want to make them very tame, so they are in the house with us for as long as possible. The man we got them from ("the hatcher" should I call him?) still had them in a large box in his bathroom. They have not been outside yet.
He told us he was feeding them chick crumbles, I believe, but we have Flock Raiser for our other birds and he said if we fed that it would be fine. Is it okay to feed them Flock raiser? And what do I feed them in? They don't seem to know what anything is, and they just trip all over everything. Another thing, I can't get them to drink. Currently they are in a large dog crate with a towel on the bottom. I also covered the crate to make them feel safer. I hung a small measuring cup over the side of the wire for water, and the same for their food. We will have them out of the crate quite often and will probably put a dog exercise pen in the living room to keep them in (for a bit until they outgrow it or i get tired of the poop smell!), just as we did with our geese. I got very tired of that quickly, because dang are they messy! When I had the geese in there I was using doggie pee pads, but I went through them like crazy. It was really expensive, but much better than rinsing out and washing a hundred towels a day.
We will eventually move them outside, but I'm not sure where yet. The barn? The back patio? The shed where the chickens are? I have a chick brooder I made out of a kitchen cabinet that is fairly large, but I'm sure they'll outgrow it quickly.
Any advice is much appreciated! I'll post pictures as soon as I have a few extra mintues away from these babies! I thought 3 was a good idea because I'm always worried when I have 2 of something that something will happen to one of them and the lone one left will be lonely. The more the merrier I always say, but taking care of these 3 babies is already a handful. And I have husband and kids home today to help me. Don't know what I'm going to do Monday when everyone goes off and leaves me alone with these lil things!